Carrie A. Northcott, Assistant Professor 1993-1995 B.S. Agronomy, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois
1995-1998 M.S. Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois
Thesis Title:“Flow Cytometric Bioanalysis of Environmental Contaminants.”
1999-2003 Ph.D. Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
“Phosphoinositide 3-kinase upregulation in hypertension: a reason for enhanced arterial contraction & tone”
2003-present Postdoctoral Research, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University
My goal is to use an integrative approach to examine the signaling changes, specifically the interrelationships of NO and ROS, as well as underlying signaling pathways, that mediate and may influence neurotransmitter activity in hypertension.
Identifying the changes in paracrine and intracellular signaling pathways is important for understanding the impact signaling pathways have on neurotransmitter activity and hypertension. In addition, due to the integrative nature of the PVN, these data will also provide a glimpse at the role of signaling in other physiological conditions, such as obesity and other metabolic syndromes.
Professional Activities
American Physiological Society (APS)
American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET)
Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine (SEBM)
American Heart Association Council of High Blood Pressure
Michigan State University Neuroscience Program
Grants
2001-2003 American Heart Association Predoctoral Grant- Midwest Affiliate
“Phosphoinositide 3-kinase upregulation in hypertension; a cause for enhanced arterial contraction and tone?”
2005-2006 American Heart Association Postdoctoral Grant- Midwest Affiliate
“Potential interrelationship between ROS and NO in the paraventricular nucleus in renal wrap hypertension?”
2006-2009 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award “ROS and NO interaction in the PVN during hypertension?”
2006-2011 K99/R00 NIH Pathway to Independence Award (Learn more)
Paraventricular nucleus signaling mechanisms in hypertension”
Selected Publications
Northcott CA, Watts SW and Hsueh W. Vasoactive growth factors and adhesion molecules. In: Izzo, J.L. Jr. and Black, H.R. eds. Hypertension Primer, 3rd Edition. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2003; pp. 66-69.
Northcott CA, Poy MN, Najjar SM and Watts SW. PI3-kinase mediates enhanced spontaneous and agonist-induced contraction in aorta of DOCA-salt hypertensive rats. Circulation Research. 2002; 91:360-369.
Northcott CA, Hayflick JS and Watts SW. PI3-kinase upregulation and involvement in spontaneous tone in arteries from DOCA-salt rats: Is p110delta the culprit? Hypertension. 2004; 43(4):885-890.
Northcott CA, Hayflick JS and Watts SW. Upregulated function of phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) in genetically hypertensive rats: A moderator of arterial hypercontractility. Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology. 2005; 32:851-858.
Northcott, C.A., Craig, T., Hinojosa-Laborde, C., Patel, K.P. and Haywood, J.R. A decrease in nitric oxide synthase in the paraventricular nucleus during the onset of renal wrap hypertension. American Journal of Physiology: Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. 2007, Submitted.
Selected Abstracts
Northcott, C.A., Craig, T., Hinojosa-Laborde, C. and Haywood, J.R.: Decreased nitric oxide and increased superoxide in the PVN during renal wrap hypertension. Inter-American Society of Hypertension Meetings. April, 2005.
Zhao, H., Northcott, C.A., Fink, G.D., Mohankumar, P., Mohankumar, S. and Haywood, J.R.: Hypertension in diet-induced obese rats: Neurohumoral mechanisms contributing to blood pressure. Experimental Biology Meetings, 2006.
Northcott, C.A., Cox, L.A., Glenn, J., Haywood, J.R., Fink, G.D., Hinojosa-Laborde, C., Shade, R.E. Gene Expression profiling to define genetic mechanisms of salt-sensitive hypertension. Experimental Biology Meetings, 2006.
Northcott, C.A. and Haywood, J.R.: A loss of balance: Nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide (O2-) in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) during the onset and chronic renal wrap hypertension. Experimental Biology Meetings, 2006.
Northcott, C.A.,King, A.J., Fink, G.D. and Haywood, J.R. Elevated angiotensin II-induced superoxide levels in the paraventricular nucleus during hypertension. American Heart Association-Council of High Blood Pressure Meetings, Fall 2006.
Northcott, C.A., and Haywood, J.R.: Inhibition of superoxide in the paraventricular nucleus blunts angiotensin II-induced elevations in blood pressure. Experimental Biology, 2007.
Northcott, C.A., Watts, S.W., Chen, Y., Morris, M., Chen, A. and Haywood, J.R.: Adenoviral inhibition of AT1a receptors in the paraventricular nucleus inhibits acute increases in mean arterial blood pressure in the rat. American Heart Association-Council of High Blood Pressure Meetings, Fall 2007.